During a post-election newsmakers panel at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual meeting Wednesday, representatives from National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association all agreed that Congress should work to pass a farm bill during the lame duck session.

“If we say that the Farm Bill is toast and it doesn’t stand a chance, that pretty much guarantees that’s going to be the outcome,” said NFU president Rob Larew. “The agenda that we’ll be talking about right next year is going to be crazy busy…where there isn’t going to be much desire for talk about beefing up the safety net, I just think this is our best opportunity right now in this lame duck.”

AFBF Vice President for Public Policy Sam Kieffer agreed 100 percent. “We’ve got an opportunity, I think, to continue to convey from rural America, from all across the country, that not only is there an opportunity, there’s a need to get it done in ’24.”

“I am in complete agreement with both of these guys on on that topic,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “This team has things to do and doing the farm bill starting from scratch is not one of them, nor should it be,” said Lane. “I think that the Dems are going to get a lot more reasonable about some of the SNAP provisions…this is a fair farm bill, this is a good farm bill and ag groups like it. It is time to get it passed. Clear the decks and and start fresh the next month.”

Of course they talked about a lot more on the panel, which also included former NCGA CEO Jon Doggett, Camas Creek LLC; and previous Senate Ag Committee economist John Newton, now with Terrain.
NAFB Post Election panel (59:49)